Monday, August 12, 2013

First trip to the temple in the MTC

Bonjour ma famille!

Cette semain a été trés bien! There wasn't too much that happened though... Haha, well done with the French! I understood it but it used a lot of weird words that are one thing but aren't really used in that way but I got the idea!

Did Kaitlin not get a letter? I could have sworn I sent one to her because that was like the first day and I could send letters the first day! that's dumb, maybe it got lost in the mail or something, or I'm just a terrible friend and completely spaced out on sending it, which is just as likely haha. Tell her she should be getting one this week! Also tell Mindy that I did get her package and that those cookies were amazing! They did even last a whole week!

 Also, something that Grandpa Call would appreciate! I've seen about 10 other Elder and Sister Call's, each time we are all trying to figure out how we're related and which wife of Anson we're from and what not, it's kinda funny. On Dimanche (Sunday) I saw two senior missionaries, one of them was a descendant of Grandpa's uncle Irvin (I think that was it) and he told me to tell him.

We do have some Sister missionaries in our zone since 2 weeks ago, but I don't talk to them all that much. There's 3 of them.  I think we may have gotten some Tahitian sisters but I didn't notice. According to the Elders that have them in their district, they're pretty nice but they don't like it when they get out of control.  Our district with only Elders can get rowdy at times but I like it, it's funner I think.  hahaha.  Elder Eshiet is always talking to sister missionaries and it's kinda funny, we joke with him a lot. The only time I ever really talk to sister missionaries is as we walk back to our residence hall we try to bear our testimonies to people in French as much as we can, it's pretty cool. I also saw Amy Finlayson's cousin who is here, she's going to Thailand and she was super excited when I said that I knew her! So if you can let here know that I talked to her, that would be cool.

The new missionaries aren't as fun as all the old one's were, there are a couple really cool guys but they are mostly way too serious and don't enjoy it that much when we are joking around, which isn't bad but it's hard to have fun with them. The new Tahitians don't know what they're in for with their 12 weeks here at the MTC, I kinda feel bad for them...

So on Wednesday I went to the orientation thing for the newly arrived missionaries. They have a big meeting where they have two missionaries come in and meet with an investigator and once they start to delve into a lesson they let some of the newbies have an opportunity to teach, so Elder Lewis and I got volunteered by Seour Wilson to be the two that come in and start it. It was actually really cool because the investigators are volunteers that are converts that act out the story of their conversion and their meetings with the missionaries, but most importantly, I saw Elder West. I've seen him just about everyday and he looks like he's doing fine, so you can tell his mom that I got my eye on him. haha. His P-day is on Thursdays and he's coming to choir so I see him a lot. It's nice having someone else I know here again! haha

We went to the temple today for the first time on our mission, and next week might be the last, which is weird. We had to go at 7:30, it's too bad I don't have one in my mission, but oh well... So I don't have AS much time to write today because I actually had something to do today!  Besides laundry!

It's super weird thinking that Brandon just got married, good for Joe steppin' up on the bachelor party, haha sounds like a blast, haha what movie did they see?

Oh something cool we did was that we were taught how to sing this French hymn that's not in the English hymn book called Souviens-Toi (which means "Remember" in command form) and it's an amazing hymn. I translated the words to English and it's super deep about a child that has died and is in heaven. I took a picture of my translation of the first 2 verses that I'll send to you. I suggest listening to it, I love it.

We are the only French speaking West Indies missionaries left. I guess we'll see on Thursday if there are others going there too.  And since we are 7 weeks randomly, we overlap with the next shipment of French West Indies Elders so we'll see them for a week before we take off like we did with the ones before us.  I told you about the old mission pres. right?  He was the one that told us that we go to Guadeloupe for the first while as we try to get visas for St. Martin, Martinique or French Guiana.

We don't have any culture classes about the West Indies, haha nobody here knows anything about it.   Frère Mayne can do accents of just about anywhere EXCEPT the West Indies because he only heard it a few times in France.  All we've heard was from the old pres. who said it was just like France but in island form!

Well I'm out of time, tell Brianna sorry I didn't get to write to her more today! I love all of you!  Pet Pepper for me hahaha!  The picture thing isn't working so I guess there's no pictures today.  Sorry!

Je vous aime!
-Elder Call